The party is feeling the effects of no longer being in power in Nelson Mandela Bay, with its regional task team (RTT) leader, Vuyani Limba, complaining that things like booking the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium were proving to be a headache.

Analysing the state of the party in the Bay yesterday at a two-day consultative conference, ANC members said factional battles and rifts within its ranks made it difficult for supporters to have confidence in the party.

“We have never been the opposition. We won the majority of wards in this metro, but we are not in power,” Limba said.

“It was a struggle to even get this venue because we are not in power.

“We meet at a difficult time in this metro after the DA-led coalition regime took over.”

He urged delegates to use the conference as a platform to confront the challenges facing the party.

“How do we deal with being the opposition?” Limba asked.

Analysing the party’s standing in the Bay, national spokesman Zizi Kodwa said the ANC had lost the battle not on election day, but during the election registration drives.

“The DA was out and about urging its people to register to vote whereas the ANC failed to go door-to-door encouraging people to register in its strongholds,” Kodwa said.

“We are not in City Hall today. We are now facing a cold front.”

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